If only Jerry Buss could see Byron Scott as new Lakers head coach

After 10 seasons and three NBA titles as a player with the Lakers, Byron Scott was introduced as their new head coach at the team’s training facility Tuesday in El Segundo. (Scott Varley/Staff Photographer)

EL SEGUNDO — Byron Scott already is working his magic with the Lakers.

One of the first things he did with that fancy new title of Lakers head coach was honor the late Dr. Jerry Buss.

Before his introductory news conference Tuesday, he was in Jeanie Buss’ office, the one with those 16 championship trophies and her father’s championship rings, and they both had tears in their eyes. “I just wish my father was here to see it,” Buss said from her office. “Byron’s heart is in the right place. He knows what this team meant to my dad. My dad instilled that in him. It’s just such a nice thing to have.”

Scott, who played with the Lakers for 10 years and helped them win three NBA titles, was surrounded Tuesday by former Laker greats Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jamaal Wilkes.

It was a star-studded cast showing their support for their former teammate. His family and grandchildren were there, too. Only one person could’ve made it better.

“The only thing I regret is that Dr. Buss is not here today,” a teary-eyed Scott said. “He was a guy you could talk to about everything, about life, basketball, money, anything. I wish he was here today.

“As I told Jim and Jeanie, I’m going to do everything in my power to bring this team back to where it should be. This organization is about championships. Period.”

When Scott referred to the Lakers’ 16 NBA championships, he inadvertently referenced the Lakers’ 17 titles. Perhaps he had that self-fulfilling prophecy in mind.

Scott wants to do the Buss family proud — with Jim and Jeanie running the basketball and business side, respectively. How can you not love Scott’s lasting connections, passion for the Lakers and unbreakable ties?

That counts for something. He cares deeply about this franchise.

Neither Mike Brown nor Mike D’Antoni had that. Neither of those press conferences featured any semblance of emotional investment. In fact, D’Antoni joked he was hopped up on medication following a recent knee surgery.

It was funny at the time, but that 27-55 season last year — the most losses in franchise history — was anything but funny.

Jim sat in the front row at Scott’s news conference while Jeanie was watching from her office above the court at the Toyota Sports Center. She streamed the news conference on her computer and watched it there as she was working on a contract.

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“(The emotions) surprised me a little bit,” Jeanie said. “I was anticipating that Byron might be the coach, but it didn’t hit me on this emotional level until it was actually here. I could just feel the energy. That kind of positive will makes a difference.”

Jeanie gave Scott a congratulatory wish from fiancee Phil Jackson, too. She can just picture what her father would’ve thought of this day.

“He would’ve been smiling ear to ear, and I’m positive he is right now,” Jeanie said with tears in her eyes. “This just feels good.”

She stood up to recall how the emotions struck her and Scott, as they stopped to look near the door of her office. There’s an old, small statue with the likeness of her father’s face for his contributions to mental health awareness, along with the rotating, glitzy display of his championship rings.

“It just hit me how my dad took such pride in Byron’s success as a player,” Jeanie said. “It hit Byron too. It’s like my father’s presence is here, and it connects in so many ways. In an era where LeBron James writes a letter that basketball has a bigger message, you take these moments to reflect on people and relationships, that says a lot.

“Plus, he’s a good coach, too.”

Magic told reporters not to let Scott’s winning smile fool anyone.

“He’s a tough cat,” Johnson said.

But not tough enough to hold back the emotion of earning the keys to the Lakers and the responsibility and history that come with it. His grandchildren, 2-year-old Kyla and 7-month old Laila, were there to watch.

They’re not old enough to understand happy tears.

“I talked to Jeanie for a little while and we started to mention her father and my ex-boss, and we both got a little teary-eyed,” Scott said. “I don’t think I could state this any deeper how I feel about this organization.

The rest of us could see those tears he was blinking back. It was refreshing.

Scott grew up in Inglewood and played basketball at Morningside High. He dreamed of playing for the Lakers. And when that became a reality, he had a bigger dream.

“I used to sneak in the Forum and watch Jerry West, and I said, ‘One day I would love to be a Laker,’ ” Scott recalled. “And one day, I would love to coach that purple-and-gold.’’

For all the conversations they shared, Scott never told Jerry Buss that he wanted to coach the Lakers one day.

But Magic Johnson knows Buss had that dream for him.

“This is a great day for Dr. Buss, even though he’s not here,” Johnson said. “We were in a suite, he called me up and he said, ‘Earvin, I would love for Byron to coach this team one day.’ I haven’t even told him (Scott) this yet. Dr. Buss was going to make Byron the coach when Phil didn’t know what he was going to do.

“But Byron took the Cleveland job, and he took it too early. Then I called him, and told him, ‘B, you took that job? Dr. Buss was going to hire you to be the coach.’ But he had to make a decision, of course. This is really a great moment for all of us, that he’s the coach.”

That emotional investment speaks volumes. It’s not a statistic that can be measured by wins and losses, but it sure is nice to see that back in the new Lakers coach.